Question:
How do I create transparency in an image using Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop?
2007-09-21 12:13:42 UTC
I have a black and white image with thick black outlines and I need all the WHITE SPACE to be transparent. How can I do this using Photoshop or Illustrator?
Six answers:
mickhawkes
2007-09-21 12:36:28 UTC
Open the picture in photoshop, if the toolbar is not showing on the screen, go to window drop down- click tools,

about halfway down left side is the erase button, click and drag should open different options, click the magic eraser tool, then click within the white section you wish to remove,
The Babe is Armed!
2007-09-21 15:14:57 UTC
Okay, to add to what has been previously answered, there are a couple of major details I need to point out.



1. If it's a black-and-white image, you need to check if it's been saved as "bitmap" "grayscale" or in color ("RGB" or "CMYK" Once you open it in Photoshop, notice the title bar for the image. In parentheses it will say one of those things. In order to use the magic wand it cannot be in "bitmap." You can change this by going to the "Image" menu and selecting "Mode" and then "grayscale" If it's already in "grayscale" or one of the color modes you're okay.



[I'll point out here that if you're importing it into another program, just make it "bitmap," save it as a TIFF and you'll be completely fine. It will be transparent automatically once you import it.]



2. Like they said, select all the background layer and copy/paste, which will create a new layer. You can then delete the background layer in the layers pallette.



3. The magic wand looks just like that. It's like a stick with little sparklies at the tip. Once you select the magic wand from the toolbox, you'll need to look at the top of the screen, where the tool options are. You should see a checkbox that says "contiquous." You want to have that checked. If you don't you'll end up selecting all the white space, both outside and inside, which may not be what you want. If you're just trying to get the space around it to be transparent, you want to check continquous.



4. Then click in the white space around the object. If the lines of the object hit the outside edges, you may not get all of it at once. There are two ways you can get around this.

a. change the canvas size. "Image" menu, "Canvas Size..." and add just .1 inch on every size. Make sure you select the middle square so it addes that .1 inch all around. Then try the magic wand.

or

b. Select all the surrounding white space by holding down the Shift Key during the selection with the magic wand.

Then delete.



5. Flatten the image using the layers pallette (the little arrow at the top right of the layers pallette reveals a popup menu)



6. Save as a gif.
design_clay
2007-09-21 14:50:16 UTC
Open the file in photoshop. If your layer is locked, make a copy and delete the locked copy. Select the white space with the wand tool or the lasso tool and hit delete. If you want to keep the picture without a background, try saving it as an eps.file, sometimes pdfs will work as well, but a jpeg will save the pic with the background when you are ready to print.
ds37x
2007-09-21 17:51:00 UTC
If the image was created in Illustrator, create your checkerboard pattern larger than the line drawing and send it to the back and position it behind the line drawing. Then make a copy of the line drawing and move it off to the side your workspace. Select the first line drawing along with the checkerboard and from the "object" menu, pull down to "clipping path" then "make." This will crop the checkerboard background to the shape of the drawing. Then select the second copy of the drawing and place it exactly on top of the first. That's it.
dylan
2007-09-21 12:37:22 UTC
ok you need Photoshop. first you need to duplicate the layer if it is a BG layer,then get the magic wand tool and select the white part then right click and chose similar. then go to the transparency lvl at the layer pallet and lower it. so I think this should help its a little advanced if you haven't used photoshop before if you need more help I can do it for you or make a tutorial for you you pick!
2016-10-19 12:04:35 UTC
you will choose Photoshop for this. Open the image,then flow to elect - colour selection. it will permit you %. the whites basically. you need to use the slider to expand or narrow your colour selection and the middle eye dropper to %. up extra colour. as quickly as you're finished, you are able to the two flow to layer - create layer mask - cover decision. this ought to depart you with purely the blacks exhibiting. The white will nevertheless be there, purely invisible. in case you want to have a layer with purely black, use an identical colour decision, yet elect the blacks. as quickly as you click ok, flow on your layers pallet and create a sparkling layer (layer - new). then you flow to edit - fill - and fill the call with black. once you turn off the unique layer, you're able to have purely your outlines seen. in case you toss out your unique layer from the report, you are able to shop the recent black outlines as a GIF and shop the transparency even for import into different classes. in case you want to overlay the piece in Photoshop on suited of yet another photograph, right here is the superfast and common shortcut. positioned the define photograph interior the suited layer. on your layers window, flow into the little drop menu that reads "favourite" good now and risk the mode to "darken" and voila! basically black outlines left. "multiply" will artwork too. good success!


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